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I know it sounds like news nowdays, but this sort of thing has been around for quite a while in game. After all, you get a bunch of young lonely males programming entertainment, and it's bound to happen. In Quest For Glory 2 (which ran on 16 color monitors if you were lucky enough to have one) there was a hidden bit where the arabian princess goes to change clothes behind this screen before you try to sneak out of the palace. If you'd bought the "X-Ray Goggles" from the magic shop way earlier in the game, you could see through screen. Not that those additional 12 pixels were all that entertaining, but... Another example was the Nude Raider mod for tomb raider. Then there was the whole slew of leisure suit larry games.

Point is, it's not new, the graphics have just gotten better. Well, that, and politicians have decided that video games are finally worth making an issue of. (AKA, they actually know what a video game is now.)

If you'd like your post count from the old forums restored to the new system, post a message here. If you had a different user name on the old one, make sure to point that out.

.. good idea. But, honestly, isn't the four line limit a little too little? Loving the smilies :D:D

Perfect example... No offense, but you're posting a single line of text, and complaining that four lines of signature is too little. I'm probably a bit old fashioned, but I think signatures are meant to just be that little bit at the end of a letter or post.

Yes, it's turned off in signatures. Call it facist, but I just don't like seeing these huge images tagged on to every single post.

After the string of repeated security holes in phpBB, I've decided to move the forums over to a new system. Not only are is it now different software on the front side, it's now running SQLite on the backend as well. This should be a lot faster, as it doesn't utilize the MySQL server at all. I was going to try and migrate everything from the old forums... but it proved too difficult. I also think it might be good to start off fresh, as we had a LOT of dead users on the old boards.

Anyway, start trying this new one out. You'll have to create a new user here, but everything should be pretty easy to use. I'll be leaving the old forums up for another month or so, while I see how this works out. Also, don't post any applications here yet.

[Violence:]

This thread is going to be used for clarification on the various rules and what-not that relate to applications. I will try and keep this first post up to date with a total listing of all "rulings" that may arise out of various application threads. Feel free to discuss such stuff below as well, but remember that only this initial post is "official." :-)



Violence: I notice a lot of people trying to point out that their comic (or what-not) will keep violence to a minimum. Most of these are not what I'd even consider borderline cases though. This suggests that many people are thinking I'm a lot stricter than I really am about this.

Violence Ruling: Violence shall not be excessive. I've yet to see an example of excessive violence in any application or site here. Violence is allowed for anything short of "violence for the sake of violence." There are people who get their kicks from things like watching snuff films, or seeing horrid depictions of blood and gore. Most anything short of that is probably okay. Basically, if the violence is plot or story related, no problem. Start posting pictures of dead babies to get your jollies, and you're out. What I do ask for anything above about a PG-13 rating is that you post some sort of warning before people see it.

Porn/Sex/Nudity: This is another one that comes up quite frequently, and a lot of confusion seems to revolve around it. It's pretty much the same as the violence one though.

Porn/Sex/Nudity Ruling: Nudity is allowed. Sex is allowed. Porn is not allowed. Let's seperate the three. Porn is nudity and/or sex only for reasons of carnal gratification. Are you drawing or writing a scene as part of a real story or plot? Or just for purposes of arousal and pleasure? I really think this one should be pretty obvious to most people... with the possible exception of anyone who genuinely reads playboy for the articles. :-) The easiest analogy is the difference between R and NC17 rated movies. NC17=No (most of the time.) R is allowed, but like violence, I ask you to have warnings for any content above about a PG-13 rating.

Drugs/Drug Use: This is again, similar to the prior two.

Drug/Drug Use Ruling: Promotion of drug use is explicitly forbidden. That doesn't mean you have to make every story into an after school special or anything, but rather that you can't post instructional materials for creating, obtaining, or using drugs or drug paraphernalia. Can you show a character shooting up or doing a bong hit? Yes, if it's part of a legitimate story, and not just a ploy to circumvent the restrictions here. Like the above rules, if drugs come up in context, that's okay, but drugs should not be the focus of the content.

Multiple Accounts: Some people have multiple, distinct projects they run, and sometimes it's useful to have them under seperate accounts/sites.

Multiple Accounts Ruling: You can have and/or apply for multiple accounts. Getting a second account is going to be tougher to justify though. You'll need to truely have two independant sites that independantly qualify. Usually this happens when a single artist has multiple comics, both of good quality. In cases like that, it actually can make things easier on me to keep them seperate, as I can assign seperate domains to each one, keep stats seperate, and even promote them more directly though things like the newsbox. Bottom line: If you think you need a second site, then feel free to apply. Be sure to note that it's a second site though. The worst that'll happen is I say no. :-)

Personal Sites vs. Home Pages: I've said in the past that I don't accept simple "home pages" or blogs. However, I do take personal art/comic sites, many of which have blogs.

Personal Sites vs. Home Pages Ruling: While I will not accept a site that is merely meant to be a person's daily journal or contact point, I do allow people to do most anything that want on the side. That is to say, if your site is accepted for the comic you run, or an art showcase you have, you are free to also keep a personal journal, pictures, links to your favorite band, or other things that would normally be part of a "home page" site.

So you want a site at Xepher.net? Okay, then follow these instructions to apply.

Before you apply, please keep in mind that I will be looking for people who can provide original, creative content on a regular or semi-regular basis. Anyone is welcome to apply, but just don't be mad if you spend an hour on the application (and a week waiting) then find it rejected.

Make sure you've read all site info. Specifically the "What is Xepher.net?" page and the FAQ. Pay special attention to the rules stated therein. If you think your content might be borderline, then email me for a clarification first.

Next, I suggest you read through some of the previous applications, to get a feel for how the process works, and what I'm looking for. You don't have to just blindly imitate them though. Originality counts for a lot around here. Just get a feel for the process, and pay special attention to my replies. They may help clarify things before you start. Also, if you're not in a rush (or still a bit confused) you may want to just hang out for a while first. Get to know people on the forums, ask any questions you may have, etc. This could let you get a better feel to see if Xepher.net is right for you.

Now, a few basic layout/protocol instructions. Make sure you have a registered account here on the forums. Your username here doesn't have to be the same as the one you apply for, but it helps if it's at least similar.

Next, come to this forum (Applications) and post a new topic with the title of your site. This is not the same as your username or URL here. For example: A comic might have the username "antarctic-u" Whereas the actual title is "Antarctic Unsanity." Use the full title for your application.

Now, start your post with a couple of simple things...

First, I need the username you hope to get. It must be less than 64 characters, and begin with a letter. Only lower case letters, numerals, and the hyphen/dash ( - ) character are allowed. I suggest you make it something at least reminiscent of your planned site title. Usernames are part of your sites URL, and the easier it is for visitors to remember, the better it is for you.

Next, I need your email. This may be spam proofed, something like "bobATniDOTcom" or "bob SPAM_ME_NOT @ ni . com" It will be read by human eyes, so as long as I can decipher it, we're good.

Next, a site description. Tell me what you plan to do, what your site will contain or be about. Include any thing else you want to mention, or that you think I should know.

Now, the main part of the application. Basically, what you're trying to do is convince me that you're going to provide something interesting and creative to the world. Keep in mind the site motto "Free Hosting for Free Thinkers."

One way, and probably the best, is to provide me with a URL to your current website. This is the most accurate way for me to judge what your website will be like here. Keep in mind, I understand that places like geocities don't let you show of your mad php skills and such. While presentation is important, what I'm really concerned with is content. If your html is circa 1995, but your writing is amazingly insightful or your art is awe inspiring, you'll still get in.

Now, another option is that you can post some of your content along with your application. This doesn't give me quite as much insight into what the final outcome will look like, but it's none-the-less a good way to see how creative people are. Be sure to try and explain any items you post, since I can't see them in context of a site.

Of course, some people are just starting out their creative careers, and don't really have much to show as of yet. Because of this, I'm going to allow a third option I call "The Challenge." This one is based on the old Phase 1 application system. Basically, it works like this: You let me know you want to go by the challenge method, and I'll start asking you questions. Some questions will have direct answers. Some will be very difficult to answer. But a lot of these questions are going to be off-the-wall... completely "whack" to use the vernacular. It's not so much of a right/wrong thing, as it is a way for me to get to know you better. It'll be a cross between a quiz show and a job interview. Also, since it'll be conducted here on the forums, it may take a few weeks.

Oh, that reminds, even the other application options will probably take a couple weeks or more. I'm holding them on the forums for a reason, that is, to let people ask questions or make comments of their own. Likewise, you'll have an opportunity to answer or correct them, filling in any details you may have neglected the first time around.

No matter which way you go, I'll eventually get to a decision. The yes or no will be posted in the forum. If it's a yes, I will also send you an email giving you temporary login info to allow you to establish your account here, along with instructions for use. You must log in within one week of receiving the email and set your basic account info. Following this, you will have two weeks to get your site up and running. At the end of this probationary period, your site will be inspected.

Now, this isn't an excuse to nitpick... I'm just looking to see if you're actually putting your webspace to the uses you originally stated, and that you've integrated the XepherNet newsbox properly (if you choose to use it.) Don't worry, everything doesn't have to be in perfect order, but I just want to see that you're actively using your account. In the past, I had too many people get accounts, then never do anything but post an "opening soon" page.

At this point, if all has gone well, then you're done. All that's left is to keep your site in good shape, and continue making the internet a better place.